Quartararo hits out at €1000 fine: “Stewards choosing people they don’t like”
The Yamaha rider was slapped with a €1000 on Saturday at the Malaysian MotoGP for undoing his helmet strap as he arrived in the pitlane during practice.
He had an encouraging fifth-place finish in Sunday’s grand prix before making his feelings known about the punishment inflicted by the stewards.
“The stewards are not doing their job,” Quartararo told TNT Sports.
“I think they [give] penalties by closing their eyes and choosing the people that they don’t like. That’s me.
“I did it [untie my helmet strap] a lot of times. All the years I was doing it.
“And just yesterday they gave me a fine. So I don’t think they are doing their job properly.”
Suzi Perry labelled the decision to fine Quartararo “utterly pathetic”.
Her TNT Sports colleague Michael Laverty commented: “There is a rule that says you have to have all of your safety equipment on, in the pitlane and live track.
“But it is harsh. As he said, he’s been doing it for years. It was a bit petty.
“It was pointed out on social media and it’s like the stewards saw the post, from a journalist in the paddock, and gave him a fine!
“I don’t agree with it. Fabio knows what he’s doing. But rules are rules.”
Sylvain Guintoli added: “It could’ve just been a warning. They could’ve just said: ‘Don’t do that, it’s not a good example, we don’t want to see this anymore, and if you do we’ll give a penalty’.
“They didn’t really need to give a penalty straight away.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
